Samsung Electronics Co Ltd has suspended production of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones following reports of fires in replacement devices, a further setback for the tech giant in the midst of its worst ever phone recall crisis.

Samsung's decision to temporarily halt Note 7 production was made in cooperation with authorities in China and the United States, as two US carriers have stopped exchanging or selling new Note 7 phones, Yonhap News Agency cited an unnamed source at a Samsung partner firm as saying on Monday.

In a statement and in a regulatory filing, Samsung said it is "temporarily" adjusting the Galaxy Note 7 production schedule and production volume to "ensure quality and safety matters".